Officials discuss new senior center

Kate Hessling, Tribune Staff Writer

Published 8:00 pm, Tuesday, June 23, 2009

BAD AXE— Huron County Commissioners voted Tuesday to remove a clause from the county’s unofficial agreement with the City of Bad Axe that stated the property south of County Building can be used only for recreational purposes.

The land, houses the ballfields, basketball courts and log cabin museum, will be deeded to the city as part of an agreement Huron County commissioners announced last week. Per that unofficial agreement, the county will deed over that land and pay $235,000 to purchase the former Davenport building and property for a new senior center.

If the agreement had been finalized with the reversionary clause intact, the land could have reverted back to the county if the city used it for nonrecreational purposes.

Board members stressed, however, city officials have said the land will not be used for any other purposes than for recreation.

Commissioner Dave Peruski also noted when the land originally was donated for the county, it was done with the understanding it would be used by the city for recreation. He said that even though the county is removing the reversionary clause from its agreement with the city, the original condition that the land be used for recreation still stands.

The former Davenport property was gifted to the City of Bad Axe in October 2008, after council agreed to pay the donor, Norman C. VanWormer, $100,000 in consulting fees over the next 10 years.

Earlier this spring, city officials voted to list the facility and adjacent property for sale at a cost of $475,000.

In March, it was announced there were efforts to lease the former Davenport University land and buildings to the U.S. Department of Veterans for a community-based outpatient clinic.

Once the agreement between the city and the county becomes official, the property will not be able to house a VA outpatient clinic.

Huron County Commissioner Kurt Damrow said he’s received communication from the VA stating the Huron County Health Department is at the top of the list of potential sites where the VA may lease property for a clinic.

He said no other information is available regarding the VA clinic.

Also during Tuesday’s commissioners meeting, there were some representatives from the Huron County Council on Aging on hand to discuss transforming the Davenport property into a senior center.

Representatives stressed the seniors want a location where they have freedom to have meetings, dancing and other events that won’t be subject to federal guidelines that have been implemented at senior meal sites in the past.

Particularly, the representatives said there was a need to have a kitchen the senior citizen groups can use.

Commissioners said while the center will be used as a place for the Human Development Commission (HDC) to prepare and serve meals, its ultimate purpose will be for a meeting location for area seniors — both from Bad Axe and from all of Huron County.

“It’s going to first be a senior center, and second a meal site,” said Commissioner Chairman Ron Wruble.

Commissioners held a special meeting with the Bad Axe City Council, HDC representatives and council on aging members last week at the Davenport location.

During that meeting, there was an overwhelm majority of support from seniors to transform the location into a senior center.

During Tuesday’s meeting, representatives thanked county commissioners, noting this is the most economical way to achieve the council on aging’s long-time goal of creating a Huron County Senior Center.

“This happened quickly — you worked on it a short time, things came together and I think you need to be commended for your work for our seniors,” said Mike Gage, former Huron County commissioner and sheriff.

As for when renovations can be made and the center’s doors can be opened, commissioners said the board is finalizing the deal with the City of Bad Axe and HDC.

“Once we get the deed, we’re going to hit the ground running,” Wruble said.

Commissioners agreed to form a committee to oversee how the center will be laid out, what sort of renovations will be made and how the operations will be managed. That committee will be comprised of two representatives from the county board of commissioners, HDC and council on aging.